Warriors: Rise of the Maple Moon
by SammySun7
Summary: The Maple Moon must rise to defeat the Talons. Mapleclaw and Moonpaw are the two sisters in the prophecy: "The maple moon must rise before the clans may be at peace from the Talons wrath." Hope you like it!
1. Prologue

**The prologue to my story! More chappies to come, hope you like this one! PLEASE R&R**

PROLOGUE

"Falconclaw, are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

"Yes, she is quite ready. I believe she will serve her clan well and always put her clan first."

Pantherstar nodded her agreement. "I, Pantherstar, leader of Sparkclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of you noble code, and I commend her to you as warriors in her turn."

"Maplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Maplepaw, from now on you will be known as Mapleclaw. The clan welcomes you as a full warrior."

Mapleclaw! Mapleclaw! Mapleclaw! The clan cheered for it's new warrior as Mistfall, Lionroar, Rainpuddle, Bluepelt, and Thorntail, all warrior ancestors of Sparkclan, looked down from Starclan as one of their clans' most important cats were made into warriors. "_The maple moon must rise before the Clans may be at peace from the Talon's claws." _Mistfall whispered the prophecy to herself.

This prophecy must be told to Tulipheart and Moonpaw, the current Sparkclan medicine cat and her apprentice, at the next half-moon when the medicine cats would meet at the Moontree. The Moontree was a great old willow that the cats of Starclan were able to communicate with the cats of the clans.

"A sign must also be sent to Pantherstar, as she is their leader." Rainpuddle mewed quietly into the silence.

"Yes, I shall do that right now." Bluepelt murmured as she slipped off into the shadows.

The rest followed suit and padded off into the brush. Mistfall was left alone watching over the newly made warrior as she sat guardnext to the old Acacia tree for her warrior vigil outside the sleeping camp.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPPIE ONE! Hehe, I like that word, chappie, it's fun to say! Anyways, enjoy! And remember, always R&R!

CHAPTER ONE

_Moonpaw_

Moonpaw padded into the Sparkclan camp with a mouthful of freshly picked herbs. She dropped it off in the medicine cat den and found a fat thrush from the fresh-kill pile to share with her sister, Mapleclaw. Moonpaw found her near the patch of long prairie grass next to the warriors den grooming her fur.

"Hey, Mapleclaw. Would you like to share some fresh-kill? I just came back from gathering herbs for Tulipheart." Moonpaw meowed.

"Sorry, Moonpaw. But I have to organize a couple more hunting patrols, then go out on a border patrol myself. Maybe some other time?"

"Yeah, I guess." Moonpaw sighed. Mapleclaw seemed to be busy all the time, now that she was deputy. Moonpaw brought the thrush over to share with Nettlesplash, he was the only one who ever payed her any attention these days. Her dad was always busy, he was one of the most senior warriors of the clan. Her sister, the deputy, was always organizing patrols or out on one herself. And her mother, Lavendershine, was busy in the nursery with her new litter of kits. So Nettlesplash was the only one who wasn't always too busy to pay her any attention, but Moonpaw thought it was just because she was Mapleclaw's sister. Nettlesplash and Mapleclaw were getting pretty close.

"Hello, Nettlesplash. Would you care to share this thrush with me?" Moonpaw greeted Nettlesplash.

"Sure, but have you seen Mapleclaw anywhere?." Nettlesplash asked. Moonpaw was glad he couldn't see her face go red with anger underneath her thick silver fur. Why couldn't he like her? She was just as pretty as Mapleclaw! Because I'm a medicine cat, Moonpaw told herself, you can't have a mate, mouse brain.

"Thank you Nettlesplash, I was afraid I'd have to ask my father to share! He would have bugged me 'till the next Gathering for "interrupting his work"" Moonpaw laughed. "But to answer you question, Mapleclaw just went out on a border patrol on the Willowclan border."

"Oh, thanks Moonpaw. I'm going to go find her." The blue-gray tom said with a dreamy look on his face. "But what about the-" But the warrior had already slipped out through the hole in the old Acacia tree that served as the entrance to the camp. "Never mind" Moonpaw muttered to herself as she padded towards he medicine cat den.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPPIE TWO once again, that is a really fun word to say! Sorry if it says that Pantherstar is their father anywhere in here, cuz at first Pantherstar was a guy and he was their father, but not anymore!**

CHAPTER TWO

_Mapleclaw_

"Toadflight, Dappleheart, Bramblepelt and Birchpaw, go out on a hunting patrol." "And Falconclaw, Otterpaw and Dawnpool, come with me to patrol the Willowclan border." Mapleclaw, the Sparkclan deputy, ordered to the warriors standing in front of her.

"Alright Mapleclaw, I'll go and get Otterpaw and we'll be good to go." Dawnpool mewed.

"Thank you Dawnpool. We will wait for you outside the tree entrance" Mapleclaw informed Dawnpool. "Hurry, Pantherstar wants us back before sunhigh, so I have time to organize patrols."

"We wanna come!" Sorrelkit, Turtlekit, and Starlingkit all said in unison as they tumbled out of the nursery. "No, no kits. You may not set foot outside camp until you become an apprentice." Lavendershine scolded the kits as she shooed them back into the bramble-protected nursery. "But when do we get to be apprentices?" The kits whined. "When you are six moons old kits, it's part of the warrior code. You know that." Lavendershine mewed to her kits.

Mapleclaw chuckled at the playful kits and padded out the tree entrance to wait for her clanmates to join her for the patrol.

"Okay, we're ready." Dawnpool reported to Mapleclaw. "Good, let's go then!"

"After they marked the border, they returned to find the clan in a panic. "Foxkit has been taken by a hawk!" Lavendershine informed them, horrified. "It just swooped in and took him by the scruff! It was terrible! Fernpool is a grieving mess! This is the third of her kits to be taken by a hawk!" Lavendershine nearly screeched at them.

"Whoa, okay. Slow down there. I'm sure it's just a coincidence-" "And when it flew away is was screeching: "Destroy the cats! The Talons will rise! Destroy the cats! The Talons will rise! Cat blood will spill! Cat blood will spill!"" Lavendershine went on, her green eyes wide with terror. "What if they take my kits?" She mewed quietly with a horrifying new realization.

"Mom, mom. Calm yourself. Your kits will be fine. Look, Moonpaw and I never got carried off, did we?" Mapleclaw reassured her mother.

"Yes, I suppose you're right..." Lavendershine sighed. "Go and get some rest. I'll take Fernpool to Tulipheart to get something for shock."Mapleclaw ordered her mother.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chappie 3! Hope u like! Once again, sorry for any typos! R&R!**

CHAPTER THREE

_Moonpaw_

Moonpaw sniffed the air, then bounded off to find the thyme she had scented. Thyme, when eaten, was used to calm anxious cats and frayed nerves. This would be exactly what Fernpool needed after her recent clash with a member of the Talons, who had ended up taking yet another one of her kits.

"I found some thyme." Moonpaw meowed around the mouthful of leaves she was carrying. "Good, good. We are running low, and that is just what Fernpool needs" Tulipheart, Moonpaw's mentor, praised her. "I shall take that to her right now."

"Alright, I'll be up in the tree if you need help or need me to fetch something for you." Moonpaw told her mentor.

Moonpaw climbed up the huge Acacia tree with the hollow in the trunk that made the medicine cat den. Inside the medicine cat den, it was much more roomy than it looks from the outside. There were grooves in the wooden tree trunk wall, which made an excellent place to store herbs. On the opposite side of the herb storage was a sandy patch where the patients lay. In another corner there was a small pool where rainwater trickled in to replenish the water supply when it rained.

Moonpaw sat atop the Acacia tree and took in the rest of the camp. The warriors den was a natural cave inside a huge boulder that made up part of the barrier that protected the camp. The apprentice den was inside a hollow cluster of thorn bushes. The elders den was inside a fallen tree, it was hollow in the inside and had a curtain of honeysuckle hanging in the entrance. The nursery was a strong structure of spiky brambles leaning up against another acacia tree. Lastly, the leaders den was between two boulders, one small one and one huge one leaning on top of it. Lichen hung across the entrance making it more private. Atop the bigger boulder was called the Highboulder. This was where Pantherstar made her announcements and ceremony's. All around the camp was the bramble barrier. It was a strong wall to keep out invaders. The Highboulder, the boulder that made the warriors den, and various acacia trees also made up parts of the barrier.

But the best part about the camp, as Moonpaw saw it, was the gigantic acacia tree in the exact center of the Sparkclan camp. It's low, wide branches spread across the entire camp, creating a thick canopy. Nobody knew how the hawks that called themselves the Talons were getting through to prey on Fernpool's kits. The entrance to the camp was a large hole straight through the middle of an acacia tree.

"Moonpaw, could you fetch me a freshly soaked moss ball for Fernpool to drink from," Tulipheart called from the nursery. "Fernpool is a little dehydrated."

"Of course, Tulipheart." Moonpaw called as she climbed back down the tree to get some water from the small pool in the medicine cat den. "Here you go, Fernpool. I'm going to go fetch some... nettle."

"Oh, okay. We aren't exactly running out of that... but I guess thats fine. Get some horsetail while you're out!" Tulipheart stuttered. Moonpaw flicked her tail to show she had heard her.

Tulipheart looked after her with concern in her green eyes. Nettle? She thought. Did this maybe have anything to do with... _Nettle_splash? Tulipheart shook her head to clear the thought. Moonpaw was a good medicine cat, she wouldn't fall for some star-struck cat who obviously loved her sister.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chappie four! This chappie is really short! Hope you like it though :)**

CHAPTER FOUR

_Mapleclaw_

Mapleclaw crept forward, stalking a vole on the lake shore. "Mapleclaw! Mapleclaw! Mapleclaw! The frantic mew and strong scent of WillowClan made the vole scurry down its hole. "What do you want? You just scared away my prey." Mapleclaw growled to Tigerdawn and Raineyes, the Willowclan warrior and medicine cat. Sparkclan you must come quick! Help us! Tigerdawn pleaded. "The Talons have attacked!" She nearly yowled at Mapleclaw. Mapleclaw's eyes widened in surprise.

"Otterpaw!" She yowled. Otterpaw came racing across the heather. "What is it Mapleclaw?" He meowed.

"The Talons have attacked WillowClan! Go fetch more warriors!" The deputy ordered. Otterpaw raced off towards the camp.

"Okay, take my warriors and I to your camp." Tigerdawn's amber eyes flickered to Falconclaw and Dawnpool, the other warriors on the SparkClan hunting patrol. "Follow me." She called, urgency spiking her mew. Raineye's eyes were streched wide with terror. "Hurry!" she urged the SparkClan patrol.

When the finally reached the well hidden WillowClan camp, a tortoishell kit lay dead next to it's bleeding gray sister, who was only barely alive. Cats crouched in terror at the edges of the camp, white showed around the edges of their eyes. A lone hawk circled above the devastaded camp. A she-cat lay next to the kits, her face full of pure grief. She turned as the partol rushed through the entrance.

"Raineyes!" She yowled as she spotted the medicine cat. "You must help Ivykit! I dont want to lose her like I lost Leafkit! Hurry!" Raineyes rushed straight to the injured kit. "Pinestep!" She mewed to a nearby warrior, "Get me cobwebs and marigold, quick!" The brown warrior came back in a few heartbeats, a wad of cobwebs and leaves in his mouth. He dropped them next to Raineyes.

"It's too late." Raineyes whispered. "StarClan will welcome her."


End file.
